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Name: Communal tables.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the School Canteen

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, versus just 60% of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and breaking bread with strangers?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."